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"Dazai's best novel […] focusing on a woman forced to deal with the consequences of heedless, Dazai-like behavior." —The New York Times
"Carpenter conveys Dazai's discordant voices while sweeping away some of the rhetorical cobwebs of Donald Keene's 1956 translation and its dated introduction, making this the definitive edition of an epochal classic of postwar Japan for a new generation." —Library Journal
A completely new translation of one of Osamu Dazai's best-loved novels, by award-winning translator, Juliet Winters Carpenter.
The Setting Sun tells the story of Kazuko, a strong-willed young woman from an aristocratic family that has fallen into poverty since the war. The book follows Kazuko's journey as she and her family struggle to adapt to the harsh new conditions of a Japan destroyed by American fire-bombings. In addition to having to move from the city to the countryside, where she has to work in the fields to support her family, she has to deal with a divorce, her mother's illness, and the return of her drug-addicted brother from the army.
An inspiring portrait of one woman's determination to survive in a society in the grip of a social and moral crisis, this classic work will appeal to those with an interest in modern Japanese literature as well as to those familiar with Osamu Dazai from the popular manga and anime series Bungo Stray Dogs, where he is the lead character.
"Carpenter conveys Dazai's discordant voices while sweeping away some of the rhetorical cobwebs of Donald Keene's 1956 translation and its dated introduction, making this the definitive edition of an epochal classic of postwar Japan for a new generation." —Library Journal
A completely new translation of one of Osamu Dazai's best-loved novels, by award-winning translator, Juliet Winters Carpenter.
The Setting Sun tells the story of Kazuko, a strong-willed young woman from an aristocratic family that has fallen into poverty since the war. The book follows Kazuko's journey as she and her family struggle to adapt to the harsh new conditions of a Japan destroyed by American fire-bombings. In addition to having to move from the city to the countryside, where she has to work in the fields to support her family, she has to deal with a divorce, her mother's illness, and the return of her drug-addicted brother from the army.
An inspiring portrait of one woman's determination to survive in a society in the grip of a social and moral crisis, this classic work will appeal to those with an interest in modern Japanese literature as well as to those familiar with Osamu Dazai from the popular manga and anime series Bungo Stray Dogs, where he is the lead character.
Price: $14.99
Pages: 160
Publisher: Tuttle Publishing
Imprint: Tuttle Publishing
Publication Date:
06 May 2025
Trim Size: 8.00 X 5.12 in
ISBN: 9784805318096
Format: Paperback
"Since about the time of Osamu Dazai's death in 1948, the publishing firm of Tuttle has been instrumental in bringing translations of Japanese literature and culture into forms suitable for the English-speaking audience." —ICv2
"This fresh translation of Dazai's somber 1947 novel is a welcome addition as the author undergoes a BookTok renaissance. […] Carpenter conveys Dazai's discordant voices while sweeping away some of the rhetorical cobwebs of Donald Keene's 1956 translation and its dated introduction, making this the definitive edition of an epochal classic of postwar Japan for a new generation." —Library Journal
"Based on the Japanese novel of the same name, The Setting Sun follows a privileged young woman, Kazuko, as her world falls apart after World War II. With no money, a sickly mother, and a drug-dependent brother to deal with, Kazuko struggles to find reasons to stay positive. An unhealthy romantic relationship offers a solution, but only if she is willing to sacrifice her principles to take advantage of it." —Book Riot
"Though not as autobiographical as Dazai's subsequent novel, No Longer Human, The Setting Sun draws heavily on his experiences…[and] would transform its author into a celebrity, the literary poster child for Japan's postwar malaise…" —The Japan Times
"Dazai's brand of egoistic pessimism dovetails organically with the emo chic of this cultural moment…and with the inner lives of teenagers of all eras." — Andrew Martin, The New York Times
"This fresh translation of Dazai's somber 1947 novel is a welcome addition as the author undergoes a BookTok renaissance. […] Carpenter conveys Dazai's discordant voices while sweeping away some of the rhetorical cobwebs of Donald Keene's 1956 translation and its dated introduction, making this the definitive edition of an epochal classic of postwar Japan for a new generation." —Library Journal
"Based on the Japanese novel of the same name, The Setting Sun follows a privileged young woman, Kazuko, as her world falls apart after World War II. With no money, a sickly mother, and a drug-dependent brother to deal with, Kazuko struggles to find reasons to stay positive. An unhealthy romantic relationship offers a solution, but only if she is willing to sacrifice her principles to take advantage of it." —Book Riot
"Though not as autobiographical as Dazai's subsequent novel, No Longer Human, The Setting Sun draws heavily on his experiences…[and] would transform its author into a celebrity, the literary poster child for Japan's postwar malaise…" —The Japan Times
"Dazai's brand of egoistic pessimism dovetails organically with the emo chic of this cultural moment…and with the inner lives of teenagers of all eras." — Andrew Martin, The New York Times
Osamu Dazai (1909-1948) was the pen name of Shuji Tsushima, the tenth of eleven children born to a wealthy landowner and politician in the far north of Japan. Dazai studied French literature at the University of Tokyo, but never received a degree. He first attracted attention in 1933 when magazines began to publish his work. Between 1930 and 1937, he made three suicide attempts, a subject he deals with in many of his short stories. Despite his troubled life and rebellious spirit, Dazai wrote in simple and colloquial style, conveying his personal torments through literature. Dazai's life ended early in a double suicide with a married lover.
Juliet Winters Carpenter (1948-2026) was an award-winning American translator of modern Japanese fiction. Born in Ann Arbor, Carpenter studied Japanese at the University of Michigan and the Inter-University Center for Japanese Language Studies in Tokyo. She was Professor Emerita at Doshisha Women's College of Liberal Arts in Kyoto. Her work won numerous awards, including the Japan-US Friendship Commission Prize for the Translation of Japanese Literature in 1980 and 2014-2015. In 2022 she was awarded the Lindsay and Masao Miyoshi Translation Prize for a lifetime of achievement as a translator of modern Japanese literature. Her translations of Japan's greatest writers, including Kobo Abe, Fumiko Enchi, Minae Mizumura, and Osamu Dazai, remain an enduring legacy in the world of Japanese literature.
Juliet Winters Carpenter (1948-2026) was an award-winning American translator of modern Japanese fiction. Born in Ann Arbor, Carpenter studied Japanese at the University of Michigan and the Inter-University Center for Japanese Language Studies in Tokyo. She was Professor Emerita at Doshisha Women's College of Liberal Arts in Kyoto. Her work won numerous awards, including the Japan-US Friendship Commission Prize for the Translation of Japanese Literature in 1980 and 2014-2015. In 2022 she was awarded the Lindsay and Masao Miyoshi Translation Prize for a lifetime of achievement as a translator of modern Japanese literature. Her translations of Japan's greatest writers, including Kobo Abe, Fumiko Enchi, Minae Mizumura, and Osamu Dazai, remain an enduring legacy in the world of Japanese literature.